HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Pay

Jim Sheridan: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, 
	(1)  what estimate the Commission has made of the number of employees of the House of Commons Service who will receive a (a) 1 per cent, (b) 2 per cent, (c) 3 per cent, (d) 4 per cent and (e) 5 per cent pay rise or above in the proposed salary revisions;
	(2)  what the average pay rise will be in the proposed salary revisions of (a) the lowest paid employees of the House of Commons Service and (b) senior managers in the House of Commons Service.

John Thurso: The House of Commons negotiates pay for staff in pay bands A to E and catering pay bands separately. No offer or award has yet been made for senior staff, whose pay has been frozen for the last three years, and whose numbers have been reduced as part of the savings programme. For other staff a pay offer has been issued to the House trade unions which seeks to meet the statutory duty of being broadly in line with the civil service and to facilitate the introduction of a new contract for staff which increases the length of the working week from 34 to 36 hours (as in the civil service) and replaces a wide variety of overtime entitlements and various unsocial hours payments which have accrued over the years with a more equitable system. Under the offer, all staff would receive a 1% consolidated pay increase in each year, except for those in pay bands A to E who are paid at the maximum of their pay band who would receive 1% non-consolidated (non pensionable) one-off payments each year. The lowest paid staff who earn less than £21,000 per annum would receive a consolidated increase of at least £250 a year, which is equivalent to an increase of at least 1.2%. A number of staff in pay bands A to E would receive additional consolidated increases as part of implementing pay reform. The amount each member of staff receives will depend on their individual situation, including how far they have progressed within their payband.
	The numbers of staff in the House of Commons and PICT who would receive (a) 1%, (b) 2%, (c) 3%, (d) 4%, (e) 5% per annum on average for the duration of the three-year pay deal are estimated to be as follows:
	
		
			 Average percentage increase in consolidated basic pay 2013-15 per annum Numbers of staff in the House of Commons Service and in PICT (headcount) 
			 Not more than 1% 463 
			 Greater than 1% to less than or equal to 2% 253 
		
	
	
		
			 Greater than 2% to less than or equal to 3% 136 
			 Greater than 3% to less than or equal to 4% 128 
			 Greater than 4% to less than or equal to 5% 192 
			 5% or greater 561

WORK AND PENSIONS

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what IT system will be used to implement universal credit pathfinders from 1 April 2013.

Mark Hoban: A number of IT systems will be used to support the universal credit pathfinders from 29 April the main components of which are: Customer Management, Business Process Management, Rules Engine, Payment Management, Real Time Earnings and Work Services.
	Universal credit will also link to a number of existing DWP corporate IT systems.

Work Capability Assessment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training is undertaken by mental function champions before they begin their role.

Mark Hoban: All Atos health care professionals are fully trained and approved to assess people with mental health conditions. Training in mental health issues is a core part of their induction training and all engage in a programme of continuing medical education which includes modules on mental health issues.
	In addition, mental function champions receive additional facilitated training on mental health topics and are expected to maintain their subject expertise through continuous professional development.

Work Capability Assessment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the recruitment policies and procedures are for mental function champions; and if there is a specific criteria used by Atos when allocating these roles to fill existing Atos Healthcare Professional positions.

Mark Hoban: Consistent policies and procedures are followed by Atos Healthcare to recruit all their health care professionals. Mental function champions are selected from within the ranks of Atos Healthcare Professionals based on their previous mental health experience and proven experience as a disability analyst.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Electoral Register

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are registered to vote in each constituent part of the UK.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 21 March 2013
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer that the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford(Mr Francois), gave on 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 437W, to the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr Murphy). No data is requested or held on the place in which service personnel are registered to vote.

Armed Forces: Electoral Register

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel were registered to vote in Northern Ireland in (a) 2002 and (b) 2012.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Minister of State gave on 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 437W, to the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire. No data are requested or held on place of registration so the information requested is not held.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 717W, on armed forces: redundancy, what calculation his Department has made of the average actuarial loss of pension income of those who have, since May 2010, been made redundant within one year of their intended pension point.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), gave on 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 717W.
	The Ministry of Defence has not calculated the average actuarial loss of pension income of those who have, since May 2010, been made redundant within one year of their immediate pension point.
	The impact of not being eligible for immediate pension is offset by the compensation lump sum or special capital payment. The average tax free payment for service personnel terminating from service with less than one year to serve to their immediate pension point was £73,383. In addition, their pension benefits will be preserved for later payment.

Armed Forces: Young People

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers are aged (a) 18 years and (b) 19 years in the (i) Infantry and (ii) Army.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 21 March 2013
	There are 920 soldiers aged 18 years in the Infantry and 2,560 in the Army as a whole.
	There are 1,100 soldiers aged 19 years in the Infantry and 3,060 in the Army as a whole.
	These numbers cover both trained and untrained regular soldiers, and exclude officers.

British Antarctic Survey

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2013, Official Report, column 1182W, on British Antarctic Survey, how many of the 548 staff employed by the British Antarctic Survey have been in post for 20 years or more; and how many of those who have worked for 20 years or more have been awarded the Polar Medal.

Philip Dunne: Information provided by British Antarctic Survey identifies that 77 of the staff currently employed by British Antarctic Survey have been in post for 20 years or more. Of these 37 have been awarded the Polar Medal,

British Antarctic Survey

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2013, Official Report, column 1182W, on British Antarctic Survey, how many Polar Medal nominations have been submitted by the British Antarctic Survey in the last 10 years; and how many were successful.

Philip Dunne: The Polar Medal Assessment Committee does not retain records of nominations received that are not successful. British Antarctic Survey has confirmed that over the past 10 years it has submitted 50 nominations and of those 48 were successful. It should be noted that any nomination submitted from the British Antarctic Survey goes through a robust internal process to ensure that it meets the qualification criteria before submission.

British Antarctic Survey

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 22W, on medals, how many of the eight people who sit on the Polar Medal Nomination Committee (a) work for the British Antarctic Survey, (b) have previously worked for the British Antarctic Survey and (c) are otherwise associated with the British Antarctic Survey.

Philip Dunne: Based on the information available to the United Kingdom Polar Medal Assessment Committee, of the eight people who currently sit on the committee, two are currently employed by the British Antarctic Survey, and all have, at some time, previously worked for the British Antarctic Survey as employees or associates.

Telephone Services

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's customer service telephone lines are restricted to those beginning 0870.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), gave on 18 March 2013, Official Report , column 443W, to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Richard Burden).
	In addition to the telephone numbers listed in that answer, the Ministry of Defence also uses Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) telephone numbers for customer service purposes.

Warships

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the current value of each (a) Type 45, (b) Type 42, (c) Type 23, (d) Hunt Class MCV, (e) Sandown Class MCV, (f) Archer Class and (b) Scimitar Class vessel.

Philip Dunne: The current values of the Royal Navy vessels are shown in the following tables. The values quoted reflect the Net Book Value (NBV) of the asset, which is calculated by adding the cost of any major up grades to the original capital cost of the asset and deducting depreciation. Depreciation is a measure of the decrease in value of an asset over time.
	The values quoted bear no relation to the replacement costs of the assets and capabilities.
	
		
			 Type 45 destroyers 
			 Name NBV (£ million) 
			 HMS Dragon 402 
			 HMS Diamond 478 
			 HMS Dauntless 511 
			 HMS Daring (1)1,566 
		
	
	
		
			 Type 42 destroyers 
			 Name NBV (£ million) 
			 HMS Edinburgh 5 
			 HMS York 12 
		
	
	
		
			 Type 23 Frigates 
			 Name NBV (£ million) 
			 HMS Argyll 188 
			 HMS Lancaster 58 
			 HMS Iron Duke 39 
			 HMS Monmouth 46 
			 HMS Montrose 49 
			 HMS Westminster 55 
			 HMS Northumberland 51 
			 HMS Richmond 67 
			 HMS Somerset 67 
			 HMS Sutherland 71 
			 HMS KENT 106 
			 HMS Portland 80 
			 HMS St Albans 95 
		
	
	
		
			 Hunt Class MCV 
			 Name NBV (£ million) 
			 HMS Ledbury 105 
			 HMS Cattistock 18 
			 HMS Brocklesby 18 
			 HMS Middleton 19 
			 HMS Chiddingfold 19 
			 HMS Hurworth 22 
			 HMS Atherstone 23 
			 HMS Quorn 25 
		
	
	
		
			 Sandown Class MCV 
			 Name NBV (£ million) 
			 HMS Ramsey 61 
			 HMS Blyth 32 
			 HMS Shoreham 35 
			 HMS Bangor 29 
			 HMS Grimsby 27 
			 HMS Pembroke 26 
			 HMS Penzance 24 
		
	
	
		
			 Name NBV (£ million) 
			 Archer Class (2)3 
			 Scimitar Class (3)0 
			 (1) The T45 class delivered a much larger proportion of the intangible development cost with the First in Class, which is amortised over the life of the vessel rather than over the entire class. Subsequent deliveries across the T45 class include a reduced intangible balance to reflect the learning curve, which is also amortised across the life of each vessel. (2) There are 15 boats in the Archer Class with a range of current NBVs. The figure shown above is the aggregate NBV of all the vessels in the class. (3) There are two vessels in the Scimitar Class with an aggregate NBV of £310,000. For consistency with the approach taken to rounding the other figures, the NBV of the class is shown as zero. Note: The NBVs shown above are all rounded to the nearest £ million.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Lobbying

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to publish his revised proposals for the registration of lobbyists.

Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Livingston (Graeme Morrice) on 20 March 2013, Official Report, column 727W.
	The Government received a large response to its consultation on ‘Introducing a Statutory Register of Lobbyists’ in April 2012. The large response generated from the public shows how important this issue is, and why we are working hard to get our proposals right.

Royal Charters

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many new Royal Charters have (a) been granted and (b) been abolished (i) since 2010, (ii) between 1997 and 2010, (iii) between 1990 and 1997 and (iv) between 1982 and 1990; and which Government Departments were the lead Department in each such case.

Nicholas Clegg: A list of all charters granted or surrendered since 1231 is available on the Privy Council website:
	http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/royal-charters/chartered-bodies/
	No charters have been “abolished” for over a century.
	Information on which Government Departments were consulted in each case could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I can confirm, however, that in every case the Privy Council Office seeks advice from relevant Government Departments with a policy interest in the affairs of the petitioning body, and/or the Charity Commission, in the case of charities.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

British Overseas Territories

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many civil servants, or full-time equivalents, in his Department are working on matters related to the UK Overseas Territories.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) does not have any civil servants solely focusing on work relating to the UK Overseas Territories.
	DFCC does, however, provide information on progress with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations and reviews, with other Government Departments, Overseas Territories' bids for funding under the Darwin plus scheme, an environment and climate fund for the UK's Overseas Territories. DECC also responds to requests from the Overseas Territories for advice and information, as part of the Department's commitment in the Government's White Paper ‘The Overseas Territories: Security, Success and Sustainability’, published on 28 June 2012.

Energy: Housing

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what projects he has proposed for support through the debt guarantee scheme.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has not proposed support for any projects under the National Loan Guarantee Scheme.

Telephone Services

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department's customer service telephone lines are restricted to those beginning 0870.

Gregory Barker: Customer service telephone lines are not restricted to 0870 numbers at the Department of Energy and Climate Change. There are also 020 and 0300 numbers to the Department among others, detailed though the Gov.uk website.

TRANSPORT

Blue Badge Scheme

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that the criteria for the issuing of Blue Badges should take into account the amount of space required by someone with restricted lower limb mobility to gain access or leave their vehicle; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The eligibility criteria for Blue Badges are set out in the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000, as amended, and provide that a badge may be issued to someone who has “a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking”. Eligibility is not condition specific, and to ensure that the blue badge scheme continues to protect preferential parking facilities for those with the greatest mobility needs there are no plans to extend eligibility.
	To assist with accessing or leaving vehicles the dimensions of on-street disabled persons' parking spaces are prescribed in legislation in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 (TSRGD) and take into account the need for extra space.

Croydon Tramlink

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 454W and 7 March 2013, Official Report, column 1110W, on the Croydon Tramlink; whether he has received any representations from the Mayor of London seeking funding for the extension of the Croydon Tramlink to Crystal Palace since May 2010; and what the date was of the last such representation.

Stephen Hammond: Any decision to extend the Croydon tramlink to Crystal Palace would be for the Mayor and Transport for London, who would also need to ensure funding was in place for such a scheme.
	We have no record of the Mayor making representations to the Secretary of State regarding the Croydon tramlink since May 2010.

Motorways: Litter

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answers of 11 March 2013, Official Report, columns 20-22W, on motorways: litter, when he intends to supply the information requested in the original questions in respect of the slip roads in Denton at the M67 Junctions (a) 1, (b) 1a, (c) 2, (d) 23 and (e) 24.

Stephen Hammond: The Highways Agency's new maintenance contract for trunk roads and motorways within the geographical area known as Area 10, commenced in early November 2012. The Highways Agency has addressed performance issues that emerged during the early months of the new contract, and the new litter inspection and clearance regime is firmly established.
	Work to remove litter from the slip roads at Junctions 1, 1A, and 2, of the M67 motorway, and Junctions 23 and 24 of the M60, is currently being scheduled.
	I have asked the Highways Agency to inform you of its planned schedule for clearing litter from these locations once this has been finalised. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Railway Stations: Disability

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the cost of making all UK rail stations compliant with the Equality Act 2010.

Norman Baker: Compliance with the Equality Act 2010 is the responsibility of individual train operating companies. However, the Act does not necessarily require changes to physical infrastructure, only that operators make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled passengers to access their services. Legally this can be achieved by providing a free accessible taxi to the next station that the passenger can use, but that is not an ideal arrangement and the Department is keen, through its Access for All programme, to make as many stations fully accessible as possible.
	The Department for Transport has not assessed the cost of providing every station in the country with step free access.

Trams: Greater Manchester

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the viability of the Tram Train technology in Greater Manchester.

Norman Baker: In developing the strategic case for Tram Train, the Department for Transport and Network Rail considered a number of sites for the pilot and locations on the network where the lessons of the pilot might sensibly be rolled out, including possible applications in Greater Manchester.
	I understand that Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is currently considering possible Tram Train, Metrolink and other rapid transit developments on a number of corridors in their area. The pilot will share best practice with TfGM but it is for them to develop their own priorities.

JUSTICE

Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to the courts system of trying Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce.

Helen Grant: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, HMCTS, does not cost individual cases.
	The HMCTS annual report provides information on average costs per court sitting day. For 2011-12 the average judicial and staff costs of a Crown court sitting day were £992 and £665 respectively.

Annual Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies qualify for privilege days; and what the total cost to the public purse was of the number of privilege days utilised each year by such officials.

Damian Green: Civil servants within the Ministry of Justice and its executive agencies (National Offender Management Service, HM Court and Tribunal Service and the Office of the Public Guardian) are eligible to take 2.5 privilege days per year.
	This is consistent with their terms and conditions of employment.
	The number of civil servants working in the Ministry of Justice and executive agencies that are eligible to take privilege days is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Civil servants in the Ministry of Justice and agencies as at 31 January 2013 
			   Number 
			 Ministry of Justice Ministerial Department 4,510 
			 HM Courts and Tribunals Service Executive agency 19,403 
			 National Offender Management Service Executive agency 43,225 
			 The Office of the Public Guardian Executive agency 473 
		
	
	No official estimate has been made of the cost to the Department of privilege days.
	The actual cost is dependent on when the privilege days falls, how many people take leave on that day, and what work is re-prioritised or re-scheduled as a result of the absence.
	For non-departmental public bodies, this information is not centrally held. This information has been requested from the Department's non-departmental public bodies and when available, will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Offenders: Fines

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Department for Work and Pensions, (b) the Department for Education, (c) the Child Poverty Unit and (d) the Office of the Children's Commissioner on the effect on dependent children of proposed charges to recover the costs of collecting fines from offenders since July 2012;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the effect on child poverty targets of proposed charges to recover the costs of collecting fines from offenders;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of cost to the Exchequer of appeals from those affected by proposed charges to recover the costs of collecting fines from offenders.

Helen Grant: An impact assessment on the provisions in clause 24 of the Crime and Courts Bill has been published alongside the Bill and is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/about-us/legislation/crime-courts-part2/
	An equality impact assessment has also been produced with regards to provisions in clause 24.
	Prior to introducing the collection costs HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) will undertake a further impact assessment.
	The information HMCTS holds on offenders is provided by the prosecuting authorities, the offenders themselves and by using the tracing tools HMCTS has at its disposal such as the Experian credit reference agency and the Department for Work and Pensions customer information system. Many offenders do not provide any information directly to the court so HMCTS does not hold data on how many offenders who owe fines also have children.

Offenders: Fines

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects the developing and testing of the computer system to be used to administer the collection of costs under Clause 24 of the Crime and Courts Bill to be completed.

Helen Grant: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service is currently looking at options with regards to the future delivery of compliance and enforcement services, this includes issues pertaining to the IT system to support that. The delivery of any new systems will be dependant on the solution we follow.

Prisoners: Females

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many female prisoners (a) had children under five years when they entered prison and (b) were pregnant when entering prison in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: The information is as follows:
	(a) Data on the number of female prisoners who had children less than five years of age when they entered prison are not routinely collected. This information could be obtained only by collating figures from individual prisoners at a disproportionate cost.
	A survey of prisoners sentenced to between one month and four years in 2005 and 2006 in England and Wales found that 19% of female prisoners reported having children aged under five years. The survey also showed that 30% of male prisoners reported having children aged under five.
	(b) Data on the number of female prisoners who were pregnant when entering prison is not routinely collected. This information could be obtained only by collating figures from individual prisoners at a disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Personal Property

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what restrictions apply to prisoners' personal property and material retained in their possession whilst detained in the secure estate.

Jeremy Wright: Prisoners are allowed to have sufficient authorised property 'in possession' for their daily needs. Currently, every governing governor/director (of a contracted prison) has devolved responsibility to determine the type of facilities and possessions prisoners may have access to, subject to their status under the Incentive and Earned Privileges scheme and the limitations of volumetric control. The review of the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme is looking at items that prisoners are allowed to hold in possession in their cells to ensure they are appropriate and have been truly earned through hard work and good behaviour.
	The procedures for the management of prisoners' property can be found in Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 12/2011. The Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme national policy framework is set out in PSI 11/2011. A copy of both PSIs can be found in the House of Commons Library.
	PSIs 11/2011 and 12/2011 apply equally to all prisons in England and Wales.

Prisons

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department is making in replacing prisons with high costs per prison place with new or expanded low-cost prisons.

Jeremy Wright: The average cost at HMP Oakwood, our newest prison, is £13,200 per place. This is less than half the average cost of existing prison places and sets the benchmark for future costs.
	Following the announcement on 10 January 2013, the Ministry of Justice has begun the feasibility work on construction of a new prison of around 2,000 places in the priority areas of London, North West England or North Wales. In addition, we plan to significantly increase capacity at four existing prisons by building additional houseblocks to provide up to 1,260 new places.
	The potential new prison would form part of the strategy to replace old and inefficient accommodation, as well as that with limited long-term strategic value, with modern capacity which is designed to better meet the demand for prison places and which supports our aim to reduce reoffending.

Prisons: Food

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost was of food per prison inmate in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was for all prison inmates in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: On the basis of currently available information for the financial year ending March 2012, the average daily cost for food (including beverages) per prisoner in public sector prisons in England and Wales was £2.26.
	The total cost spent on food for prisoners within public sector prisons for the past five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Fiscal year ending March Cost of food (public sector prisons) (£000) 
			 2008 55,624 
			 2009 62,228 
			 2010 59,959 
			 2011 60,750 
			 2012 62,675 
		
	
	From October 2012, a new food contract was signed which will significantly reduce the cost of prison food and which will contribute to the Government's strategic aim of driving down the cost of imprisonment.

Probation: Northamptonshire

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Northamptonshire Probation Trust in reducing reoffending.

Jeremy Wright: The performance of probation trusts is kept under constant review. The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly proven reoffending rates for offenders supervised by probation trusts.
	The reoffending rates for Northamptonshire Probation Trust can be found at the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/reoffending/proven-re-offending

Reoffenders

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what reoffending rates were in each county in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the change has been in reoffending rates in each (a) county and (b) probation service area in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Wright: Table 1, which will be placed in the Library, includes the reoffending rates by upper-tier local authority in each of the last three years for offenders who were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, received a caution, reprimand, warning or tested positive for opiates or cocaine. These figures are published quarterly and can be found in table 13c via the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/reoffending/proven-re-offending
	Table 2, as follows, shows reoffending rates, by probation trust area in each of the last three years.
	The probation trust area is based on an offender's address at the time of their most recent offence. However, this does not mean the offender was under the supervision of the probation trust in that area.
	When comparing reoffending rates between different areas, the differences may be due to:
	Different types of offenders; areas where the offenders have high numbers of previous offences are likely to have higher proven reoffending rates.
	Police activity; areas with high police detection rates are likely to have higher proven reoffending rates.
	Age profile of offenders in the area; areas with a younger population are likely to have higher proven reoffending rates.
	Comparing proven reoffending over time within local authorities or probation trust areas will be affected by any significant changes in these factors.
	A proven reoffence is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up. Following this one year period, a further six month waiting period is allowed for cases to progress through the courts.
	
		
			 Table 2: Proven reoffending of adult and juvenile offenders, by probation area, April 2008 to March 2011 rolling quarters 
			 Probation area April 2008 to March 2009 April 2009 to March 2010 April 2010 to March 2011 
			  Number of offenders in cohort Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%) Number of offenders in cohort Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%) Number of offenders in cohort Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%) 
			 Avon and Somerset 17,326 28.2 15,978 28.2 16,228 29.4 
			 Bedfordshire 7,062 24.6 6,973 24.4 6,602 24.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 8,553 28.3 9,016 27.3 8,941 26.2 
			 Cheshire 11,401 26.0 10,597 25.1 10,240 24.9 
			 Cumbria 7,587 29.5 6,972 26.9 6,470 29.4 
			 Derbyshire 12,315 24.3 9,735 24.8 9,523 25.7 
			 Devon and Cornwall 17,895 25.9 16,309 25.2 16,239 25.7 
			 Dorset 7,661 26.2 7,078 25.1 6,358 25.4 
			 Durham 8,803 28.4 8,130 29.5 8,576 30.1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 6,305 25.2 5,925 26.2 5,880 26.9 
			 Essex 22,010 23.6 21,215 22.6 17,724 24.0 
			 Gloucestershire 7,451 25.9 6,641 23.8 4,902 23.1 
			 Greater Manchester 38,070 28.0 34,751 27.6 34,772 27.7 
			 Gwent 9,261 25.4 8,175 26.6 7,801 28.2 
			 Hampshire 22,217 27.1 21,437 26.1 20,490 26.3 
			 Hertfordshire 11,714 23.7 11,885 22.7 11,118 23.5 
			 Humberside 12,708 28.9 11,914 29.1 11,787 29.9 
			 Kent 21,659 24.6 20,864 23.8 18,450 25.1 
			 Lancashire 21,309 29.0 20,628 29.7 20,159 29.4 
			 Leicestershire 10,490 23.8 9,808 24.3 9,815 24.6 
			 Lincolnshire 8,086 24.5 7,652 23.8 7,064 25.9 
			 London 109,515 26.9 108,161 26.5 103,018 26.9 
			 Merseyside 22,458 30.8 21,647 30.4 20,530 31.0 
			 Norfolk 9,025 27.3 8,681 26.0 8,561 27.1 
			 North Wales 9,724 28.0 9,637 27.0 8,543 26.7 
			 North Yorkshire 8,518 27.2 8,008 26.2 7,369 27.4 
			 Northamptonshire 7,977 26.4 7,920 24.9 7,767 24.5 
			 Northumbria 26,132 30.9 23,057 30.9 20,991 31.4 
			 Nottinghamshire 15,229 28.1 15,013 28.1 15,205 28.9 
			 South Wales 18,181 30.0 17,284 29.7 16,342 30.8 
			 South Yorkshire 19,525 28.4 18,380 27.4 15,867 27.9 
			 Staffordshire 11,811 25.2 10,667 24.7 11,302 23.9 
			 Suffolk 8,161 26.9 7,540 25.4 6,627 27.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Surrey 8,647 22.9 8,198 22.8 7,719 22.8 
			 Sussex 17,087 25.1 16,880 24.5 16,245 23.6 
			 Teesside 10,886 32.4 10,485 32.4 10,306 32.5 
			 Thames Valley 23,887 25.4 21,015 25.4 20,209 25.9 
			 Warwickshire 5,639 23.9 5,232 23.4 4,715 20.5 
			 West Mercia 14,135 25.0 12,383 23.9 11,119 25.3 
			 West Midlands 44,702 26.6 37,189 25.2 30,833 26.1 
			 West Yorkshire 32,335 28.8 30,920 26.9 28,148 27.8 
			 Wiltshire 6,375 23.2 6,493 22.5 5,875 22.3 
			 Unknown 5,796 2.3 5,082 1.9 5,312 2.0 
			 Total 725,628 — 681,555 — 641,742 —

Reoffenders: Veterans

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Veterans Treatment Court system in the US in limiting reoffending by former service personnel.

Jeremy Wright: The Government are committed to transforming the rehabilitation of offenders to reduce reoffending. We have considered the Veterans Treatment Court system in the US and note that circumstances in the US are very different to England and Wales, not least in the scale and geographical spread of former service men and women. In developing a Liaison and Diversion service at police custody and in courts we are better able to identify the mental health needs of offenders and direct them to appropriate treatment at an early stage in the Criminal Justice System.

Telephone Services

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) 0800, (b) 0808, (c) 0844, (d) 0845 and (e) 0870 telephone numbers for the public are in use by (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible.

Helen Grant: The information held centrally for the public use of (a) 0800, (b) 0808, (c) 0844, (d) 0845 and (e) 0870 telephone numbers in use by (i) the Ministry of Justice and (ii) the agencies for which it is responsible is as follows:
	(a) 0800 numbers: 14
	(b) No recorded 0808 numbers
	(c) 0844 numbers: eight
	(d) 0845 numbers: 33
	(e) 0870 numbers: 96 (these are all fax numbers).
	The Department's approach is not to use 084 or 087 for non-geographic numbers and instead, wherever possible, to assign 0300 numbers, for which the tariff is similar to calling an 01 or 02 (geographic) number, whether the caller is using a fixed line or a mobile phone. The Department currently uses 41 ‘0300’ numbers.

Youth Custody: Crimes of Violence

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of offender-on-offender violence there have been in (a) secure children's homes, (b) secure training centres, (c) youth offender institutions and (d) young offender institutions in each year since May 2005.

Jeremy Wright: Maintaining the safety of young people in custody is a priority. Establishments employ a range of strategies to maintain order, promote effective behaviour management and prevent incidents escalating to violence. Table 1 shows the number of assaults committed by young people where the victim was a young person and the number of fights involving young people in each year from 2008 to 2011. The figures are broken down by sectors in the young people's custodial estate; (a) secure children's homes, (b) secure training centres and (c) under-18 young offender institutions. Complete data is only available from 2008 onwards, 2012 data is not available yet and will be published in January 2014.
	The Youth Justice Board does not count the number of individual young people involved in a fight or who have committed an assault. Therefore the table will include the same young person multiple times if they were involved in multiple incidents throughout the time period.
	It has not been possible to identify prisoner-on-prisoner violence in all over-18 young offender institutions (YOI), as YOIs within adult prisons can-not be identified in the data. As a proxy, for part (d) Table 2 shows the number of prisoner-on-prisoner incidents of assault (including fights) involving 18 to 20-year-olds in all adult prisons including dedicated 18-20 YOIs. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of this data to show the number of fights involving 18 to 20-year-olds in all adult prisons. Statistics are published for prisoner on prisoner assault incidents on an annual basis in the Safety in Custody statistics bulletin. The latest statistics published for prisoner on prisoner assaults is for the calendar year 2011. Figures for 2012 are scheduled to be released on 25 April 2013.
	NOMS do not count the number of individual people who have committed an assault. Therefore the table will include the same person multiple times if they were involved in multiple incidents throughout the time period.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of assaults and fights involving young people in each year 
			  2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Number of assaults where victim was a young person     
			 Secure children's homes 389 397 348 412 
			 Secure training centres 463 454 580 541 
			 Under-18 young offender institutions 1,623 1,349 1,251 1,416 
			 Total 2,475 2,200 2,179 2,369 
			      
			 Number of fights     
			 Secure children's homes 91 67 105 75 
			 Secure training centres 518 355 350 340 
			 Under-18 young offender institutions 2,219 2,033 1,925 2,140 
			 Total 2,828 2,455 2,380 2,555 
			 Source: Monthly returns from the youth secure estate to the Youth Justice Board 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of prisoner-on-prisoner assault incidents involving 18 to 20-year-olds 
			 Number of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults (including fights) 2005(1) 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 18-20 young offender institutions(2) 1,598 2,501 2,624 2,867 3,042 2,519 2,817 
			 (1) Figures for 2005 are based on data from 1 May to 31 December 2005, therefore this figure is lower than other years as it does not reflect a full year's data. (2) Figures show the number of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults (including fights) involving 18 to 20-year-olds in all adult prisons including dedicated 18-20 YOIs. Source: National Offender Management Service's National Offender Management Information System (NOMIS)

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what capacity building support she is providing to Bosnian institutions.

Alan Duncan: DFID contributed £80 million of bilateral assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2003 to 2011. With Bosnia and Herzegovina having passed beyond the post-conflict resolution stage DFID concluded its assistance to enable Bosnia and Herzegovina to take up longer term support through the EU and other multilateral organisations.

Ma'an News Agency

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much UK aid is given to Ma'an News Agency;
	(2)  what recent representations she has made to Ma'an News Agency.

Alan Duncan: No UK aid is given to Ma'an News Agency.

Overseas Aid: Audit

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on auditing projects funded by her Department; what methodology is used; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: DFID has rigorous systems and processes to ensure that its aid reaches and delivers results for its international recipients. It provides aid across several modalities including Budget Support or Financial Aid to recipient Governments, funding to multilaterals such as the World Bank, grant arrangements and direct contracts. Each of their modalities is subject to differing audit and assurance processes as informed by the differing control environment.

Overseas Aid: Audit

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many projects have been funded by her Department which have failed an audit or a quality assurance assessment in the last five years.

Alan Duncan: DFID has rigorous systems and processes to ensure that its aid reaches and delivers results for its international recipients. Aid is delivered through several mechanisms including Budget Support or Financial Aid to recipient Governments, funding to multilateral such as the World Bank, grant arrangements and direct contracts. Each of these is subject to differing audit and assurance processes as informed by the respective control environment.
	Audit and assurance processes require an assessment of whether funds have been used for their intended purposes. This information is included in the Department's routine reviews carried out annually for each project or programme and at their completion. Appropriate action must be taken for any risks or issues identified, and this action is monitored.

Palestine

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many projects her Department has funded in Palestine which have been subject to auditing and quality assurance assessments in each of the last five years; and the total number of such projects in that period.

Alan Duncan: All of our projects are subject to rigorous quality assurance assessments prior to approval, annually and at project completion. In addition, all project partners must provide audited financial statements of their expenditure each year. Full details of the projects which the UK supports are available on our website:
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/Default.aspx?countrySelect=WB-OccupiedPalestinian_territories

TREASURY

Members: Correspondence

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when HM Revenue and Customs plans to reply to the letter which he passed to them received from the right hon. Member for Oldham West and Royton on 19 October 2012, having been sent on 12 January 2013 the consent as requested in their letter of 19 November 2012.

David Gauke: The letter was replied to in full on 5 February 2013. A duplicate copy was sent to the right hon. Member on 18 March 2013.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the ability of small firms to comply with the on or before rule in the PAYE Real Time Information system.

David Gauke: The Tax Information and Impact Note (TUN) published on 15 March 2013 included an updated assessment of the impact RTI will have on small business.
	HMRC has commissioned independent research exploring the impact of PAYE Real Time Information on all employers in the pilot including small firms. This research is looking at confidence levels, ease and the overall impact of RTI on the employers’ businesses. The findings will be used in conjunction with a wider evaluation of the pilot, which will include an assessment of the impacts on HMRC. The TIIN will be updated later this year using that evidence.
	In the meantime HMRC has recently announced a relaxation of the on or before reporting arrangements for small businesses for a transitional period.
	Until 5 October 2013, employers with fewer than 50 employees, who find it difficult to report every payment to employees at the time of payment, may send information to HMRC by the date of their regular payroll run, but no later than the end of the tax month (5th).

Superannuation Act 2010

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what the (a) total and (b) average annual saving arising from the Superannuation Act 2010 has been.

Francis Maude: I am replying as the Minister with responsibility for the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.
	Latest estimates produced by the National Audit Office (NAO) suggest that Departments will save an estimated £400 million annually on the civil service paybill from paid exits that took place in 2011 alone. The initial cash cost of these paid exits in 2011 under the revised Civil Service Compensation Scheme was £600 million. The NAO estimates this is a saving of 40% to 50% compared with if those same exits had taken place under the previous terms.
	The civil service is now 14% smaller since the general election, contributing to paybill savings of £1.5 billion for the tax payer last year alone.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Communications Data Bill (Draft)

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations she has had with (a) the Northern Ireland Executive, (b) local authorities and (c) the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the provisions of the revised draft Communications Data Bill.

James Brokenshire: Home Office officials have had meetings with a variety of organisations and individuals, as part of the process of developing the revised Communications Data Bill. Although Communications Data is a reserved matter, this has included meetings with key groups in Northern Ireland that will be affected by the Bill.

Firearms: Licensing

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the efficacy of her Department's guidance to police forces on the issuing of firearms to individuals with a history of domestic violence, mental health problems or drug and alcohol problems.

Damian Green: The Home Office's Firearms Law Guidance to the Police is currently being revised and will address the issuing of firearm and shotgun certificates to such individuals.

Staff

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff her Department employed in each of the past five years; how many such staff were employed in London; how many such staff were employed in other regions of England; how many posts moved from London to these regions; and what steps she is taking to move her staff to regional offices.

James Brokenshire: Table 1 shows the number of paid civil servants employed by the Home Department on 31 December of each year between 2008 and 2012.
	Table 2 shows the number of paid civil servants employed by the Home Department on 31 December of each year between 2008 and 2012 that were based in London.
	Table 3 shows the number of paid civil servants employed by the Home Department on 31 December of each year between 2008 and 2012 that were based in other parts of England.
	Information about how many posts moved from London to other parts of England over the past five years, is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Home Office continues to look for opportunities to reduce costs and improve value for money including through staff relocation.
	
		
			 Table 1: How many staff her Department employed in each of the past five years 
			  Headcount (full-time equivalency) 
			  December 
			  2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Total number of employees 24,030 24,660 27,838 24,844 24,624 
			 Notes: 1. Extract Dates: 1 January for each of the years included. 2. Periods Covered: Data is based on current, paid staff as at 31 December for each year. 3. Organisational Coverage: For December 2008 to December 2010 the Executive agencies included are the UK Border Agency (UKBA), Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). It should be noted that in April 2010 around 4,639 (FTE) HM Revenue and Customs detection employees joined UKBA in a Machinery of Government change. Data for December 2011 and December 2012 additionally includes the National Fraud Authority and the Government Equalities Office—GEO (part of Home Office Headquarters). Data for December 2012 excludes CRB employees who moved from the core Home Office to the Disclosure and Barring Service in December 2012. 4. Employee Coverage: Figures given are headcount (full-time equivalent) for all current paid civil servants. 5. Transparency Agenda Considerations: The definition of employee coverage is consistent with that used in the Department's Workforce Management information monthly return to Cabinet Office and the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey to the Office for National Statistics. Source: Data View—the Home Office's single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly snapshot corporate Human Resources data. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: How many staff were employed in London 
			  Headcount (full-time equivalency) 
			  December 
			 Region 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 London 11,465 11,775 12,304 10,724 11,177 
			 Notes: 1. Extract Dates: 1 January for each of the years included. 2. Periods Covered: Data is based on current, paid staff as at 31 December for each year. 3. Organisational Coverage: December 2008 to December 2010 the Executive agencies included are the UK Border Agency (UKBA), Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). It should be noted that in April 2010 around 4,639 (FTE) HM Revenue and Customs detection employees joined UKBA in a Machinery of Government change. Data for December 2011 and December 2012 additionally includes the National Fraud Authority and the Government Equalities Office – GEO (part of Home Office Headquarters). Data for December 2012 excludes CRB employees who moved from the core Home Office to the Disclosure and Barring Service in December 2012. 4. Employee Coverage: Figures given are headcount (full-time equivalent) for all current paid civil servants. 5. Transparency Agenda Considerations: The definition of employee coverage is consistent with that used in the Department's Workforce Management Information monthly return to Cabinet Office and the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey to the Office for National Statistics. Source: Data View—the Home Office's single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly snapshot corporate Human Resources data. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: How many staff were employed in other regions of England 
			  Headcount (full-time equivalency) 
			  December 
			 Region 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 East Midlands 168 189 186 166 174 
			 East of England 935 886 1,127 1,060 1,197 
		
	
	
		
			 North East 846 803 860 817 866 
			 North West 4,056 4,357 4,630 3,846 3,343 
			 South East 2,475 2,062 3,742 3,532 3,335 
			 South West 186 250 310 307 295 
			 West Midlands 563 631 757 674 707 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,201 2,149 2,192 2,063 2,013 
			 Not known 33 119 15 13 5 
			 Total 11,463 11,445 13,819 12,477 11,935 
			 Notes: 1. Extract Dates: 1 January for each of the years included. 2. Periods Covered: Data is based on current, paid staff as at 31 December for each year. 3. Organisational Coverage: Data provided includes Home Office Headquarters and the Executive agencies. For December 2008 to December 2010 the Executive agencies included are the UK Border Agency (UKBA), Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). It should be noted that in April 2010 around 4,639 (FTE) HM Revenue and Customs detection employees joined UKBA in a Machinery of Government change. Data for December 2011 and December 2012 additionally includes the National Fraud Authority and the Government Equalities Office—GEO (part of Home Office Headquarters). Data for December 2012 excludes CRB employees who moved from the core Home Office to the Disclosure and Barring Service in December 2012. 4. Employee Coverage: Figures given are headcount (full-time equivalent) for all current paid civil servants. 5. Transparency Agenda Considerations: The definition of employee coverage is consistent with that used in the Department's Workforce Management Information monthly return to Cabinet Office and the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey to the Office for National Statistics. Source: Data View—the Home Office's single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly snapshot corporate Human Resources data.

Vetting

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason convictions which are spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 are included on enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 7 March 2013
	Enhanced criminal record certificates are issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) which took over the functions of the Criminal Records Bureau from 1 December 2012. In accordance with Part V of the Police Act 1997, these certificates include details of the convictions and cautions relating to the applicant which are held in central police records. Eligibility for enhanced criminal record certificates is restricted to certain sensitive purposes, such as considering suitability to work considering spent as well as unspent convictions.

HEALTH

Learning Disability

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that adults with moderate to mild learning difficulties are recognised as having a disability.

Norman Lamb: The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as a person with a disability. A person has a disability for the purposes of the Act if he or she has a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This definition would include people with moderate to mild learning difficulties.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a gagging clause was part of the settlement Martin Yeates received when he resigned as chief executive of Mid Staffordshire Hospital Foundation.

Daniel Poulter: Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that Martin Yeates did not receive a special severance payment when he left the trust's employment.
	He was entitled to six months' salary on notice of his resignation, which he received in lieu of notice. As Mr Yeates did not receive a payment over and above his contractual entitlement, HM Treasury approval was not required. We understand from Monitor that this payment was made in the context of a compromise agreement between the trust and Mr Yeates, the terms of which are confidential between the parties, and therefore are not known to the Department.
	The Department has been consistently clear that nothing within a contract of employment or compromise agreement should prevent an individual from speaking out about issues such as patient care and safety, or anything else that could be in the wider public interest.

NICE: Value Assessments

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence takes account of the age of patients when making a value assessment of new treatments.

Norman Lamb: As an independent body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is responsible for the development of its methods and processes which are periodically reviewed and consulted upon.
	NICE's “Social Value Judgements: Principles for the Development of NICE Guidance” document describes how age is taken into account in the development of its guidance. The document is at:
	www.nice.org.uk/media/C18/30/SVJ2PUBLICATION2008.pdf

CABINET OFFICE

Cybercrime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to help protect UK companies from cyber attack;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of potential cyber security threats against UK private-sector companies.

Chloe Smith: The National Cyber Security Strategy published in November 2011 assessed the range of cyber threats to UK companies, including fraud and the theft of intellectual property. As part of this work, in September 2012 the Government issued the '10 Steps to Cyber Security' guidance, which offered practical advice for board members on safeguarding their most valuable online assets. Later this month, we will be launching the Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership (CISP) to facilitate information sharing on cyber threats and mitigations between industry and Government.
	The Government published a detailed account of its work to address cyber threats to the UK in the Cyber Security Strategy in November 2011. The annual update of this was then published on 3 December 2012. More detail is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cyber-security-strategy

Databases: Telecommunications

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to improve cross-Government communications.

Nick Hurd: The Government is taking steps to improve Government communications. These steps include:
	The Communications Delivery Board chaired is now the ultimate coordinating and decision making authority for Government communication;
	The Board approved the first ever Annual Plan for Government Communications in 2012 and the work of seven cross Government communication hubs;
	A programme of capability reviews of departmental communications directorates is under way;
	A single brand identity for HM Government has been introduced and departmental websites are being migrated onto a single web domain:
	www.gov.uk

Energy: Meters

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with his counterpart at the Department for Energy and Climate Change to ensure that the procurement of smart meters takes full account of his Department's policy towards the future deployments of smart grids;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his counterpart at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the roll-out of smart meters for (a) electricity and (b) water.

Francis Maude: In line with the practice of previous Administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

Government Departments: ICT

Nick Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the existing public sector IT contracts held for all Government departments.

Chloe Smith: I welcome the interest of the right hon. Member in the question of public sector procurement. Sadly the last Administration maintained no central record or oversight of Government's contracts ICT or otherwise. Since January 2011, this Government has published all contracts over the value of £10,000 on Contracts Finder:
	https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	Since the last general election our efficiency and reform programme has supported Departments in making billions of pounds of savings, including the following:
	By developing a Common infrastructure strategy we have saved over £60 million from telecommunications spend in 2011-12;
	By applying scrutiny to ICT and digital services we have stopped spend of £40 million;
	By scrutinising ICT business cases we have reduced planned expenditure on approved projects by over £140 million;
	By centralising our spend on common goods and services we have made over £350 million price savings;
	By introducing policies requiring Departments to purchase less we have reduced purchased volumes on some contracts saving £65 million;
	By renegotiating deals with some of the largest suppliers to Government we have saved almost £440 million.

Official Residences

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 720W, on official residences, where information on the number of bedrooms at (a) Chequers, (b) Chevening and (c) Dorneywood is made publicly available.

Francis Maude: Chequers, Chevening and Dorneywood are managed by independent trustees.
	Information about the residences is available, for example, in the House of Commons Library Note (SN/PC/03367).

Public Sector: Procurement

Nick Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assistance or guidance the Government provide to small and medium-sized enterprises on bidding for public sector contracts.

Chloe Smith: At the time of the general election only a small fraction of Government contracts went to the small and medium-sized enterprises which are the life blood of the economy. Because we want to see Britain on the rise, this Government set an aspiration that, by 2015, 25% of Government procurement by value (directly and in supply chains) should go to SMEs. Procurement by value with SMEs is indeed rising.
	We are implementing a wide range of measures to open up the way Government do business to make sure that small companies, charities and voluntary organisations are in the best possible position to compete for contracts:
	We have streamlined the procurement process with faster and simpler procedures.
	We have removed long standing bureaucracies such as pre-qualification questionnaires for contracts below the EU threshold.
	We require central Government opportunities over £10,000 to be advertised on Contracts Finder.
	We are breaking down large ICT contracts through the controls process.
	We have provided a right to challenge poor procurement practice through the highly successful Mystery Shopper service.
	And we have required all departments to develop action plans with stretching targets to increase their spend with SMEs.
	At the time of the general election there was little information available within Government, and no transparency externally, about the proportion of Government business going to SMEs. This information is now published at departmental level regularly.

Regulatory Policy Committee

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions the Reducing Regulation Cabinet sub-committee has exercised the powers within its remit to ensure that advice from the Regulatory Policy Committee is followed across Government.

Oliver Letwin: Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Clothing: Fire Prevention

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 745W, on clothing: fire prevention, how many cases of (a) injury and (b) death of children have occurred as a result of fire in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011 and (iv) 2012.

Brandon Lewis: The latest annual figures for fire casualties aged under sixteen are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Fire fatalities and non-fatal casualties aged under 16, England 2009-10 to 2011-12 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Fatalities 21 19 13 
			 Of which:    
			 Item first ignited was clothing 1 5 3 
			     
			 Non-fatal casualties 1,092 1,253 1,105 
			 Of which:    
			 Item first ignited was clothing 88 85 77 
			 Source: Fire and rescue incident records.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bees

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the change in the bee population between 2005 and 2012.

David Heath: Specific data on the honey bee population between 2005 and 2012 are not available. The population varies during the year from around 20,000 per colony in the winter to 60,000 per colony in the summer. A study carried out by ADAS Consulting Ltd in 2001 estimated that there were 230,000 managed honey bee colonies in England. We are not aware of any subsequent estimates that have been published. However, the National Bee Unit, part of the Food and Environment Research Agency, has a voluntary database of beekeepers. Data for 2005 are not available but in 2006, there were approximately 12,000 beekeepers managing approximately 100,000 colonies registered compared to over 29,000 beekeepers managing over 139,000 colonies in 2013.
	In addition to the honey bee, there are many species of wild bee in our countryside, a number of which have been the focus of conservation action. Information on the distribution and status of wild bees is available through the websites of voluntary groups such as the Bumblebee Conservation Trust or the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society or from the Government-supported National Biodiversity Network Gateway which is an on-line database of information on the distribution of wildlife in the UK.

Circuses: Animal Welfare

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish draft legislation on the banning of wild animals in circuses.

David Heath: It remains our firm intention to publish a draft Bill this session which would ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.
	In the meantime, we have introduced a strict licensing scheme, which came into force in January, to ensure good welfare as long as wild animals remain in travelling circuses.
	Under the new Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012, two circuses in England have been issued with licences to use wild animals, following thorough inspection by DEFRA-appointed vets.
	To retain these licences, the circuses will be required to maintain very high standards of animal welfare and will need to conduct their activities with greater transparency and accountability than ever before. Using both planned and unannounced inspections, DEFRA will be keeping a very close eye on those circuses and the welfare of their wild animals until the ban which many people are calling for can be achieved.

Consumer Council for Water

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which company holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Consumer Council for Water; how much is paid each year under that contract; how many individual devices are covered by the contract; when the contract was awarded; and when and how the contract will next be reviewed.

Richard Benyon: Vodafone holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). It started on 8 July 2011 and covers 29 devices.
	CCW has spent the following since the contract began:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2011-12 6,051.54 
			 2012-13 (1)5,078.62 
			 (1) Latest data—up to and including 18 March 2013. 
		
	
	The current contract was put in place through the Government Procurement Service and expires on 30 March 2015. We would expect the same approach to be taken to procuring a replacement contract at that time.

Livestock: Transport

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South Thanet, of 25 October 2012, Official Report, column 1065, when he expects to receive the official report on the slaughter of 47 sheep at the Port of Ramsgate in September 2012; if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) the report and (b) the letter sent from his Department to the High Court on the transport of live animals via the Port of Ramsgate; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The information is as follows:
	(a) I received the report which I had requested from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency on their internal review of procedures following the regrettable events on 12 September at Ramsgate in October 2012. At the request of Kent Trading Standards, the prosecuting authority, the report was withheld until any possibility of prejudicing their criminal investigation and any subsequent criminal proceedings had passed. I placed the report in the House of Commons Library on Monday 4 March 2013.
	(b) The letter sent from DEFRA to the High Court was a formal application by DEFRA to intervene in the proceedings between Barco de Vapor representing the livestock transporters, and Thanet district council who have responsibility for Ramsgate Port. I have now placed the letter of application in the House of Commons Library.

Offices

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many regional offices his Department has.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA has no regional delivery offices, but does have staff working in a number of locations outside London, including Bristol, York and Alnwick.

Schmallenberg Virus

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of Schmallenberg disease on (a) adult cattle, (b) calves, (c) adult sheep and (d) lambs.

David Heath: While many animals and farms in GB may have been infected, clinical signs in adult sheep and beef cattle to date have been non-existent. The signs in dairy cattle of a raised temperature, reduced milk yield and in some cases diarrhoea are mild/moderate, short-lived and similar to other endemic diseases due to their non-specific nature. In an individual dairy cow these mild clinical signs may last up to five days, and across the herd as a whole for several weeks. The main impact is in pregnancy on the developing foetus. The virus attacks the developing neurological system and limbs of foetal lambs or calves resulting in malformations such as domed heads, fixed bent limbs and jaw deformities. The affected newborns are often born dead or die shortly after birth. Birthing may be difficult due to the foetal limb presentation and care needs to be taken in assisting the mother, seeking veterinary assistance as appropriate. Post partum after care should be provided as with any other difficult birth.

Schmallenberg Virus

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to introduce a vaccine to treat Schmallenberg disease in cattle.

David Heath: The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) recently issued an updated press release (February 2013) regarding a submission for provisional marketing authorisation for a Schmallenberg vaccine from MSD Animal Health pharmaceutical company (MSD). The VMD and MSD have been working together, ensuring that safety data are complete for provisional marketing authorisation to be granted. The VMD must ascertain, through a rigorous scientific assessment process, that proper care is taken to ensure any vaccine is safe for the relevant livestock. We are hopeful it will be available for use prior to the next sheep breeding season, ideally in early summer before the peak of midge activity.

Schmallenberg Virus

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) his EU counterparts and (b) the EU Commission on Schmallenberg disease.

David Heath: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been appointed by the Commission to collate data on Schmallenberg from all affected member states and report in this at the EU level. In order to achieve this they hold regular Schmallenberg Working Group meetings which DEFRA attends. Schmallenberg is discussed regularly at meetings with European counterparts, including those of the Chief Veterinary Officers, and with the Commission in relation to the developing knowledge base and also third country trade impacts.
	DEFRA continues to work with European colleagues to fund research at the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency into how the virus works and at the Pirbright Institute into how midges spread the virus. The European Commission is match funding this research as well as programmes in other member states (MSs). The results of the EU wide research are shared across MSs to enable a more comprehensive picture of the virus to be developed and understood. As such the scientists working for DEFRA on Schmallenberg virus are also in regular contact with their European counterparts.

Schmallenberg Virus

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of a vaccine against Schmallenberg disease in providing immunity for (a) an adult cow and (b) an unborn calf.

David Heath: The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) recently issued an updated press release (February 2013) regarding a submission for provisional marketing authorisation for a Schmallenberg vaccine from MSD Animal Health pharmaceutical company (MSD). The VMD and MSD have been working together, ensuring that safety data are complete for marketing. The VMD must ascertain, through a rigorous scientific assessment process, that proper care is taken to ensure any vaccine is safe for the relevant livestock.
	We would expect that offspring born to Schmallenberg infected animals or vaccinated animals will have a certain level of protective immunity lasting a few months as a result of maternal antibodies received in the first milk from their mothers. These antibody levels will drop with age and the offspring will then be unprotected until they themselves are vaccinated.

Schmallenberg Virus

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the economic effect on farmers of losses of cattle and calves through Schmallenberg disease; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: DEFRA has updated the economic impact assessment for the current lambing season in England for Schmallenberg Virus. This gives an expected cost of £2.3 million, of which £1.9 million (80%) falls upon farmers and £0.5 million (20%) which includes research, is Government spending. This can be compared to enzootic abortion and endemic disease in the UK flock with an annual UK cost of £17.7 million.
	For cattle, the expected costs are higher, as the cost of an individual animal is higher, but these are still below the cost of other endemic diseases in cattle. That is not to underestimate the effect on an individual farm business, which may be considerable.

Schmallenberg Virus

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether calves born in 2014 to cows which have Schmallenberg disease in 2013 will be given immunity to that disease; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: As with many viral infections, we would expect that unaffected offspring born to Schmallenberg infected animals will have a certain level of protective immunity lasting a few months as a result of maternal antibodies. These antibodies are received in the first milk from the mother when the newborns' gut is, for a few hours following birth, able to absorb them into the body. These antibody levels will drop over the following weeks and months and the offspring will then be unprotected until they themselves are either infected or vaccinated. This is the situation with related viruses, such as Akabane virus in Australia, where each year the offspring are at risk of infection.

Telephone Services

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) 0800, (b) 0808, (c) 0844, (d) 0845 and (e) 0870 telephone numbers for the public are in use by (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible.

Richard Benyon: The following table represents the telephone numbers currently in use by core DEFRA and its Executive agencies.
	
		
			  Phone numbers 
			  0800 0808 0844 0845 0870 
			 Core DEFRA 1 0 0 5 1 
			 Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency 1 0 2 4 1 
			 Food and Environment Research Agency 1 0 2 0 0 
			 Rural Payments Agency 1 0 0 7 0

Telephone Services

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department's customer service telephone lines are restricted to those beginning 0870.

Richard Benyon: The DEFRA Helpline provides a single point of contact for all core DEFRA general inquiries from the public and uses an 0845 number not an 0870 number.

EDUCATION

Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the (a) job titles, (b) grades and (c) responsibilities of staff in his Department's Safeguarding Group in (i) May 2010, (ii) February 2013 and (iii) the future after departmental restructuring.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 4 March 2013
	The information is provided in the following tables. The Department for Education does not retain specific information on individual job titles for members of staff.
	
		
			 Responsibilities of safeguarding staff in May 2010 
			 Division FTE 
			 Child Safeguarding 17.40 
			 Child Safety Unit 20.00 
			 Group Leadership and Admin. 7.00 
			 National Safeguarding Delivery Unit 15.80 
			 Safeguarding Operations 11.54 
			 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 4.00 
			 Total 75.74 
		
	
	
		
			 Grades of safeguarding staff in May 2010 
			 Grade FTE 
			 EA AA SG Band 2 0.00 
			 EA AO 7.11 
			 EO 18.33 
			 GRADE 6 7.08 
		
	
	
		
			 GRADE 7 12.40 
			 HEO 11.82 
			 SCS Band 1 3.00 
			 SCS Band 1A 1.00 
			 SCS Band 2 1.00 
			 SCS Band 3 0.00 
			 SEO 14.00 
		
	
	The Department has not yet confirmed work force numbers for February 2013. As of 31 January 2013, there were 76.0 full-time equivalents working in the Safeguarding Group.
	After departmental restructuring, staff will be flexibly deployed across the new Children's Social Care policy family.

Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the (a) job titles, (b) responsibilities and (c) grades of staff in his Department's (i) Children, Young People and Families Directorate in May 2010 and (ii) Children's Services and Departmental Strategy Directorate in February 2013.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 4 March 2013
	The Department for Education does not retain specific information on individual job titles for staff. The responsibilities of members of staff by group are provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Responsibilities of CYPFD staff in May 2010 
			 Responsibility FTE 
			 Directorate Support 20.58 
			 Child Well Being 40.97 
			 Families 92.19 
			 Contact Point 20.83 
			 Safeguarding 77.74 
			 Supporting Delivery 91.61 
			 Early Years and SEN 117.04 
			 Total 460.96 
		
	
	
		
			 Grades of CYPFD in May 2010 
			 Grade FTE 
			 EA AA SG Band 2 2.00 
			 EA AO 17.52 
			 EO 72.86 
			 GRADE 6 27.23 
			 GRADE 7 109.87 
			 HEO 87.30 
			 SCS Band 1 21.29 
			 SCS Band 1A 1.00 
			 SCS Band 2 6.00 
			 SCS Band 3 1.00 
			 SEO 114.89 
		
	
	The Department has not yet confirmed work force numbers for February 2013. The responsibilities of CSDSD staff as of 31 January 2013 are as follows:
	
		
			 Responsibilities of CSDSD staff as of 31 January 2013 
			 Group FTE 
			 Directorate Leadership and Support 21.0 
			 Families 93.7 
			 Safeguarding Group 7S.0 
		
	
	
		
			 Supporting Delivery Group 126.0 
			 Early Years and SEN 100.8 
			 Communications Group 140.5 
			 Strategic Analysis, International 46.3 
			 Strategy, Performance and Private Office 113.8 
			 Total 717.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Grades of CSDSD staff as of 31 January 2013 
			 Grade FTE 
			 EA 77.1 
			 EO 128.2 
			 HEO 133.4 
			 SEO 159.3 
			 GRADE 7 140.5 
			 GRADE 6 44.5 
			 SCS 34.1

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with which members ECHO has held discussions concerning the repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 in the last year.

Jo Swinson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has not held any such discussions.

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure that the advice from the Regulatory Policy Committee (a) in its review of the impact assessment of the proposed repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 and (b) in other circumstances is accepted across Government.

Jo Swinson: The Regulatory Policy Committee is a scrutiny body independent from government. It comments on the quality of the Government's analysis of policy proposals, including the evidence provided in support. The Regulatory Policy Committee stated that the impact assessment in question was fit for purpose. The Government have, however, committed to consulting on transitional provisions that would seek evidence on when, and how best, to implement the proposed repeal.

Domestic Visits

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which constituencies Ministers in his Department have visited in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Jo Swinson: Ministers have made official visits to the following constituencies in the last 12 months. However, they will have made other visits for example to deliver a speech which will have been recorded as a speech not a visit. To include all of these would incur disproportionate costs.
	Aberavon
	Aberdeen North
	Aberdeen South
	Aldershot
	Amber Valley
	Aylesbury
	Balham
	Barrow and Furness
	Basingstoke
	Bassetlaw
	Battersea
	Belfast East
	Belfast South
	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
	Beverley and Holderness
	Birmingham, Hall Green
	Birmingham, Perry Barr
	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	Birmingham, Yardley
	Blackburn
	Blaydon
	Blyth Valley
	Bolton West
	Bootle
	Bosworth
	Bournemouth West
	Brigg and Goole
	Brighton, Pavilion
	Bristol North West
	Bristol West
	Broxbourne
	Broxtowe
	Cambridge
	Cardiff Central
	Cardiff North
	Cardiff South and Penarth
	Carlisle
	Castle Point
	Chatham and Aylesford
	Cheltenham
	Chesterfield
	Chippenham
	Cities of London and Westminster
	City of Chester
	City of Durham
	Coventry North East
	Coventry South
	Crawley
	Croydon North
	Darlington
	Don Valley
	Doncaster Central
	Dudley North
	Dudley South
	Dunfermline and West Fife
	Easington
	East Devon
	East Worthing and Shoreham
	Eastleigh
	Edinburgh East
	Edinburgh South West
	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	Exeter
	Filton and Bradley Stoke
	Folkestone and Hythe
	Fylde
	Garston and Halewood
	Gateshead
	Glasgow Central
	Glasgow North
	Gloucester
	Great Yarmouth
	Guildford
	Halton
	Hammersmith
	Harlow
	Hemel Hempstead
	Henley
	Hereford and South Herefordshire
	Hexham
	Holborn and St. Pancras
	Huddersfield
	Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
	Ipswich
	Islington South and Finsbury
	Kenilworth and Southam
	Kingston upon Hull East
	Leeds Central
	Leeds North West
	Leicester East
	Leicester South
	Leicester West
	Lewes
	Lichfield
	Lincoln
	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
	Liverpool, Riverside
	Loughborough
	Macclesfield and Tatton
	Manchester Central
	Meriden
	Mid Worcestershire
	Midlothian
	Newbury
	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	Newport
	North Swindon
	North Tyneside
	North West Norfolk
	Norwich North
	Norwich South
	Nottingham East
	Nottingham North
	Nottingham South
	Nuneaton
	Oxford East
	Oxford West and Abingdon
	Paisley and Renfrewshire North
	Perth and North Perthshire
	Peterborough
	Plymouth, Moor View
	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
	Poplar and Limehouse
	Portsmouth South
	Pudsey
	Redcar
	Ribble Valley
	Richmond Park
	Rochester and Strood
	Rochford and Southend East
	Romsey and Southampton North
	Rossendale and Darwen
	Rotherham
	Rugby
	Ruschcliffe
	Saffron Walden
	Salford and Eccles
	Scarborough and Whitby
	Scunthorpe
	Sedgefield
	Selby and Ainsty
	Sheffield Central
	Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough
	Slough
	Solihull
	Somerton and Frame
	South Cambridgeshire
	South Derbyshire
	South Leicestershire
	South Norfolk
	South Suffolk
	Southampton, Itchen
	Southend West
	South port
	St Albans
	Stafford
	Stoke-on-Trent Central
	Stoke-on-Trent North
	Stowmarket
	Stroud
	Surrey Heath
	Tewkesbury
	Thirsk and Malton
	Thurrock
	Tonbridge and Malling
	Wakefield
	Wandsworth
	Wantage
	Washington and Sunderland West
	Waveney
	Weaver Vale
	Welwyn Hatfield
	West Ham
	West Worcestershire
	Westmorland and Lonsdale
	Windsor
	Witney
	Worcester
	York Central
	York Outer

Higher Education: Ethnic Groups

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the rate of admissions, excluding admissions from overseas, to (a) Oxford and Cambridge, (b) Russell Group universities, (c) non-Russell Group universities and (d) all universities of young people from different ethnic groups, relative to their proportion of the overall population of young people.

David Willetts: The information is not held centrally. Data on applications and acceptances to full-time undergraduate courses by ethnic group are collected by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and are available from their website at:
	http://www.ucas.com/about_us/stat_services/stats_online/data_tables/
	Information on the numbers of entrants to both full-time and part-time undergraduate courses by ethnic group is collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and is available from their website at:
	http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/1973/239/
	Neither organisation publishes admissions by ethnic group as a percentage of the overall population of young people.
	Both UCAS and HESA are organisations independent from Government. The Government are firmly committed to improving the information available about higher education through the key information set and other initiatives, and is in favour of transparency on who applies to and who attends higher education.

Regional Growth Fund

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the allocation of regional growth funds to rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: The Regional Growth Fund is a competitive fund and the projects and programmes selected will be those which best meet the criteria and in particular protect or safeguard jobs and leverage private sector investment in areas that are currently overly dependent on the public sector. There is no policy on the allocation of the Fund to rural areas.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Betting

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed by the betting industry.

Hugh Robertson: According to Gambling Commission industry statistics for the period April 2011 to March 2012, the betting industry employs 54,449 people, including those in full or part-time posts.

Betting Shops

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has received any evidence to suggest that betting shops are targeted at deprived areas.

Hugh Robertson: The Government are aware of concerns about the concentration of betting shops in some local communities, but believe that sufficient powers exist under gambling and planning legislation to allow local authorities to manage the overall retail diversity, vitality and viability of town centres and to ensure necessary public protection.

Digital Economy Act 2010

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of effects of the delay of the implementation of the Digital Economy Act 2010 on investment in UK content businesses.

Edward Vaizey: The Government are aware that copyright owners have asserted that the cost to investment in UK content businesses resulting from the delayed implementation of the Digital Economy Act 2010 (DEA) is significant. The Government have not undertaken their own assessment.
	The Government are committed to implementing the online infringement of copyright provisions of the DEA but it is important to take time to ensure it is implemented property. Meanwhile, we continue to work with industry and the enforcement authorities in areas such as payment facilitation and online advertising in order to make online piracy less profitable for sites which exploit copyright infringement for criminal advantage. I am pleased to see that the UK's creative industries continue to thrive in a challenging environment, and that globally recorded music has turned the corner, with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reporting growth in recorded music sales in 2012, the first time sales have grown since 1999.

Gaming Machines

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the Government's policy is on electronic gaming machines.

Hugh Robertson: The Government are committed to creating the conditions for growth across the leisure sector, but will only support proposals that do not compromise the licensing objectives of keeping crime out of gambling, ensuring gambling is fair and protecting children and vulnerable adults. The Government's policy on electronic gaming machines is consistent with this approach, but will be further informed by responses to the consultation on the triennial review of gaming machine stake and prize limits which closes on 9 April.

Gaming Machines

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consideration the Government has given to calls to reduce the levels of stakes and prizes on electronic gaming machines.

Hugh Robertson: The Government are aware of concerns that have been raised about the stake and prize levels of category B2 gaming machines and we have asked for evidence of links between those machines and problem gambling as part of the current consultation on proposals for changes to maximum stake and prize limits for Category B, C and D gaming machines which closes on 9 April.

Gaming Machines

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what evidence the her Department has received to suggest that electronic gaming machines are addictive.

Hugh Robertson: The Government are currently in the process of taking evidence around electronic gaming machines as part of the consultation on the triennial review of gaming machine stake and prize limits. The Government recognise that although most people who gamble do so safely, problem gambling can arise in a wide range of gambling forms including, but not limited to, electronic gaming machines. The Responsible Gambling Trust has recently announced a programme of academic research into gaming machines, which should contribute to a better understanding of gaming machine play patterns, player behaviour and evidence where players may be experiencing problems.

Heritage Lottery Fund

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what mechanisms exist within the Heritage Lottery Fund to ensure funding for urban parks is directed to those parks with the greatest need and in areas with high levels of social, economic and environmental deprivation.

Edward Vaizey: The application process is competitive and decision makers use their judgment to choose which applications to support. Decisions are made twice a year, and it is a two-round process. The HLF Board, which in England is also joined by representatives from Big Lottery's England Committee due to the joint nature of the programme, consider the heritage focus of the park or cemetery, the need or opportunity presented by the project, why it should go ahead now and the need for lottery funding, the outcomes of the project, value for money, project planning, financial risk and the long-term sustainability of the project.
	HLF works closely with local authorities particularly where there have been lower levels of spend historically. All Parks for People applicants are encouraged to set out where there is real need for our funding—the guidance prompts applicants to describe whether there are social, economic or environmental needs in the local community. When decisions are taken, they consider whether “communities will be a better place to live, work or visit” alongside the need to assess the heritage merit of any application. Through this approach 60% of our funding awarded to parks (under both PfP and our general programmes) has gone to deprived communities.
	Recognising the challenges facing local authorities and the parks sector, HLF is now offering greater support and leadership to both, our Parks for People grantees and green space organisations. During 2012, HLF and BIG worked with the charity Nesta on one-day ‘Innovation Lab’, investigating the appetite for new management and funding models for parks, and as a result we are now exploring future options and ways to stimulate innovation in local authority park departments.
	In October 2012, HLF and BIG hosted the first UK Public Parks summit in London, attended by 170 sector leaders, highlighting both successful park management strategies and the future pressures on urban green space. The summit team has also worked with the Land Trust in developing a new web-based toolkit about income generation for parks, to be launched this spring. This February, HLF commissioned new research gathering baseline data about the state of UK parks in 2013, which will in turn influence future funding directions and policy for green space. Later this year HLF will launch a new online community, sharing good practice, offering advice, information and opportunities for the parks sector to network and discuss issues they face. HLF's new Policy Adviser will also support parks already awarded funding under the Parks for People programme, helping managers sustain the benefits of their award in the long term.
	In the West Ham constituency, we have funded one park-related project. This was in 1998 to develop a general restoration plan for Newham's parks (£25,000).

Olympic Games 2012

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received from businesses on the operation of Olympic marketing licences.

Hugh Robertson: I have received no recent representations from businesses on the operation of the Supplier Recognition Scheme for companies which supplied the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I would encourage companies which supplied the Games to apply for a licence under the scheme, which is run by the British Olympic Association. Licensed suppliers can refer to their work on the 2012 Games in business to business communications, and at trade fairs, both in the UK and overseas. The Supplier Recognition Scheme is another first for London 2012: the first time that the International Olympic Committee has agreed to the legal restrictions placed on suppliers and contractors being relaxed in this way.

Olympic Games 2012

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many firms have submitted applications for Olympic marketing licences in 2013 to date; and how many such applications have been (a) approved and (b) rejected.

Hugh Robertson: As at 20 March, 620 companies had applied for licences under the Supplier Recognition Scheme, run by the British Olympic Association for companies which supplied the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 435 applications had been approved and 95 rejected.

Tourism

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the role of local enterprise partnerships in promoting investment in regional tourist economies.

Hugh Robertson: holding answer 21 March 2013
	It is too early to make an assessment of how successful Local Enterprise Partnerships have been in promoting investment in regional tourist economies. However, many LEPs do recognise the role that tourism and the wider visitor economy can play in delivering local growth. VisitEngland has developed relationships with them to provide expertise on their local visitor economies, respond to requests for the provision of tourism intelligence and connect the LEP to appropriate tourism partners locally.

World Heritage Sites

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on advising UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee of a planning application which may affect the Outstanding Universal Value of a World Heritage Site.

Edward Vaizey: The UK Government comply with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention and informs UNESCO at appropriate points in the planning process.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the European Union Parliament resolution adopted on 17 January 2013 on the human rights situation in Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: European Parliament resolutions are statements of MEPs' political views, rather than those of member states. On the specific Bahrain resolution, the UK agreed with some elements but not others.
	The UK remains concerned about the situation in Bahrain and regularly raises this with the Bahraini authorities. I visited Bahrain on 11 March and discussed a wide range of topics, including human rights with both Government and opposition figures. Progress is being made in Bahrain, albeit slowly. We are encouraged by the National Consensus Dialogue and by the appointment of the Crown Prince to a government position, but more needs to be done. We will continue to support the Bahraini Government in their reform efforts.

Bahrain

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the aims and objectives are of Government policy towards Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: Bahrain is an important regional ally for the UK. We enjoy a relationship based on common interests in many areas, including trade and investment, education, culture, defence, and security. Our aim is to strengthen our engagement in these areas and support the Government's foreign policy objectives of security, prosperity, and support for UK nationals overseas. This close relationship allows us to have frank conversations with the Bahraini Government in other areas, such as human rights, the UK's values, and the importance of the rule of law. We are supporting the Bahraini Government in their reform efforts and are encouraged that the Government and Opposition have engaged in a National Dialogue. I and my ministerial colleagues visit Bahrain, or meet with senior Bahraini visitors, on a regular basis.

Bosnia

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what capacity building support he is providing to Bosnian institutions.

David Lidington: The UK provides capacity-building support to Bosnian institutions through a series of targeted bilateral programmes, aimed at assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina with the most challenging aspects of the EU accession process. In 2012-13, the British embassy in Sarajevo invested over £900,000 in programmes designed to promote institutional reform, focusing on improving the capacity of the justice and security sectors, so that they are able to implement the reforms necessary for EU accession. This bilateral support is in addition to assistance provided to Bosnia and Herzegovina through the European Commission's Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) funding. Bosnia and Hezegovina also receives technical assistance from the UK through EU IPA funded twinning.

Bosnia

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support Bosnia to become a candidate for EU and NATO membership.

David Lidington: The UK Government strongly supports Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) EU and NATO membership ambitions. I refer to my response to the hon. Member on 11 March 2013, Official Report, column 52W. We continue to deliver clear and consistent messages to BiH's leaders on the importance of a committed effort to meet the conditions required for progress towards accession to both the EU and NATO. The UK is supporting progress through a number of programmes designed to assist BiH make the reforms necessary for accession. These include projects to increase the capacity of the State and Entity Parliaments to co-ordinate implementation of the EU and NATO integration processes, anti-corruption efforts and work to bring the justice and security sectors in line with international standards. It is now for BiH's leaders to demonstrate their commitment by taking action. We urge BiH's leaders to deliver on what they have agreed to do as soon as possible so that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU can come into force, thus paving the way for Bosnia and Herzegovina to apply for EU membership.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2013, Official Report, column 53W, on Bosnia and Herzegovina, which Minister will represent the Government at the Srebrenica memorial event in 2013.

David Lidington: No decision has yet been taken in respect of ministerial attendance at the 2013 Srebrenica anniversary commemorations. In 2012, Her Majesty's ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina represented the Government. In 2010 and 2011, the Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend, the right hon. Baroness Warsi also attended.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support he is providing to people who were the victims of sexual violence during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to addressing the outstanding issues related to wartime sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of the FCO's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, the British embassy in Sarajevo has allocated funding to a number of programmes designed to address the impunity of perpetrators and provide support to victims. We are working with the UN Population Fund to design a project aimed at improving the access to support services for victims. The embassy is also engaging with the State High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council to design a project which will improve the witness protection measures for those survivors who would otherwise be reluctant to come forward.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to bring suspected perpetrators of sexual violence during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina to trial.

David Lidington: Our embassy in Sarajevo continues to address issues related to the effective prosecution of war crimes cases, including those that involved sexual violence. Our support to the State Prosecutors Office has had a direct impact on the number of cases processed. We are working alongside a number of bilateral donors to prepare the ground for a large-scale EU Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) project, due to begin in 2014, intended to address the significant backlog of cases in cantonal and district courts. Our embassy will provide support for the Mostar Prosecutor's Office, which currently has the highest number of sexual violence cases outstanding.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office deployed two experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March. These experts worked with the Federation Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centre to provide training for 40 judges and prosecutors dealing with wartime sexual violence cases in the state and entity courts to prosecute cases in accordance with international standards. This was the first stage of a broader project, undertaken in cooperation with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), aimed at improving the process of war crimes cases, including wartime sexual violence cases.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support he is providing to the families of people who were killed in the Srebrenica genocide.

David Lidington: The UK Government are committed to justice and reconciliation in Srebrenica and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The British embassy has periodic contact with representatives of survivors groups, and a considerable proportion of FCO programme funding, over £2.5 million in recent years, directly contributes to efforts to tackle the legacy of the conflict and the genocide in Srebrenica. Our funding tends to focus on providing support through organisations such as the State Prosecutor's Office, where FCO financial support to the Srebrenica team from 2004 until December 2012 has had a direct impact on the number of successful prosecutions for Srebrenica-related war crimes. We have also funded work to rebuild infrastructure and socio-economic activities aimed at supporting sustainable returns to the Srebrenica area. We also continue to offer substantial political support to the International Commission on Missing Persons as they continue their work to identify the remains of the victims of the genocide.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legislation has been passed to designate the marine protected area declared in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Mark Simmonds: The Marine Protected Area was proclaimed on 1 April 2010. Marine protection is enforced by existing legislation. We hope that legislation to further implement the marine protected area will be enacted soon. This will be subject to the decision of the High Court, which is currently considering a judicial review challenging aspects of the consultation of the British Indian Ocean Territory marine protected area.

British Nationals Abroad: Homicide

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many family liaison officers have worked with UK-based families bereaved by the murder or manslaughter of a British national relative abroad in each of the last five years.

Mark Simmonds: Information on how many family liaison officers have worked with UK-based families bereaved by murder or manslaughter in the last five years is not held centrally by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and to provide this information would require a disproportionate cost. However, figures are available for 2012 and the first quarter of 2013 from other sources. During 2012 family liaison officers worked with 11 UK-based families, and in the first quarter of 2013 they worked with six.

British Nationals Abroad: Homicide

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under which circumstances Government makes additional resources available to support families bereaved by homicide abroad; and in how many cases any additional resources have been provided in each of the last five years.

Mark Simmonds: Families bereaved by homicide abroad receive a wide range of consular support both directly and via our external partners. The support that families receive is described on page 19 of our publication, Support for British Nationals Abroad available online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/35519/support-for-british-nationals-abroad.pdf
	and the Guide for Bereaved Families at:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/35526/bereaved-families.pdf
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has provided assistance to the following number of cases in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  Cases 
			 2008-09 65 
			 2009-10 58 
			 2010-11 62 
			 2011-12 67 
			 2012-13(1) 60 
			 (1) Up to and including February 2013 
		
	
	The range of assistance provided is dependent on the needs of each family and unique to each. To provide more information on the nature of the assistance provided would involve a disproportionate cost.

Egypt

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the aims and objectives are of Government policy towards Egypt.

Alistair Burt: The Government have made clear that their priority is to support the transition towards democratically accountable governance and a free society, underpinned by strong institutions, respect for the rule of law and a vibrant economy, in accordance with the wishes of the Egyptian people. Our work towards this goal includes support through our Arab Partnership initiative, which is funding a range of political and economic reform projects, and through the G8 and EU, where we are leveraging greater support for political and economic reform. In addition we are strengthening trade and investment relationships and working with Egypt on our shared interest for greater security in the region.

Egypt

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to help support stability in the Sinai.

Alistair Burt: The Sinai faces a range of security and economic challenges. Warnings in FCO travel advice for the region reflect recent security incidents and ongoing criminal activity there. We regularly raise our concerns about security in the Sinai with the Egyptian authorities, who have assured us of their commitment to addressing the situation. We have offered to share British experience in this field.

Falkland Islands

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with representatives of the Holy See about the status of the Falkland Islands; and if he has any plans to discuss (i) the status of the Falkland Islands and (ii) the recent referendum in the Falkland Islands on its constitutional status with Pope Francis.

Hugo Swire: Officials have discussed this issue with representatives of the Holy See. During our discussions, our ambassador to the Holy See set out the position of the United Kingdom on the Falkland Islands. The Holy See's long-standing position has been that it considers the question of the Falkland Islands to be a bilateral one between sovereign nations, and that it does not have a role to play. We do not expect this position to change.

Falkland Islands

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Holy See on the will of the people of the Falkland Islands following the Argentinian President's recent meeting with the Pope.

Hugo Swire: The Falkland Islands Government referendum was a clear expression of the Islanders' wishes and we hope that the international community will respect their views. Our ambassador to the Holy See has set out the position of the United Kingdom on the Falkland Islands in discussions with senior Holy See officials. The Holy See's long-standing position has been that it considers the question of the Falkland Islands to be a bilateral one between sovereign nations, and that it does not have a role to play. We do not expect this position to change.

Hezbollah

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the proscription of Hezbollah.

Alistair Burt: It remains our view that it is imperative that the EU takes robust action in response to the terrorist attack carried out in Bulgaria by members of Hezbollah's military wing on European soil. We are engaged in discussions with EU partners on designation of Hezbollah's military wing under the EU's terrorist asset freezing regime.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs also discussed the issue of Hezbollah and EU designation with both Prime Minister Mikati and President Sleiman during his recent visit to Beirut. They agreed on the importance of Lebanon's full cooperation with the Bulgarian investigation into the bombing, and the Secretary of State made clear that the UK does not believe that designation would affect EU relations with Lebanon or Lebanon's stability.

Jordan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the aims and objectives are of Government policy towards Jordan.

Alistair Burt: The UK's policy towards Jordan reflects the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's priorities of safeguarding Britain's national security, building Britain's prosperity and supporting British nationals around the world.
	We continue to believe that increased political participation by citizens and greater economic opportunity offering them a greater stake in their state is the surest route to long-term regional stability. We welcomed parliamentary elections held in January 2013 and look forward to working with the new Jordanian Government to assist the implementation of political and economic reforms, including through support from the Arab Partnership.
	We are also assisting Jordan to host the over 330,000 registered Syrian refugees. Additionally the UK works closely with Jordan on issues of mutual interest, including regional foreign policy, counter-terrorism and defence.

Lebanon

Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in southern Lebanon.

Alistair Burt: We welcome the current calm in southern Lebanon and the positive role played by United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in maintaining it. We are urging both Lebanon and Israel to take advantage of the ceasefire to implement their commitments under Security Council Resolution 1701 and to conduct negotiations towards a permanent peace, including settling all outstanding border disputes.

Middle East

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the Government is providing to projects to encourage young Palestinians and Israelis to work together.

Alistair Burt: The Government recognise the importance of supporting constituencies committed to resolving the conflict peacefully and generating dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. We are currently developing Conflict Pool projects for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the financial year 2013-14 including those that foster co-existence.

Middle East

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions has he had with his US counterpart on the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Alistair Burt: There is no more urgent foreign policy priority for 2013 than restarting negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Both the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed this issue with US Secretary of State John Kerry during his recent visit to London. We are committed to working actively with the United States, the Israelis and Palestinians, and our other international partners, to achieve progress before the window for a two state solution closes.

Middle East

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Hamas Charter and its effect on the Middle East Peace Process.

Alistair Burt: The Government's position remains that if Hamas wishes to be treated by the UK and the rest of the international community like other Islamist movements in the region, it must first make credible steps towards renouncing violence, recognising Israel and accepting previously signed agreements, in line with the Quartet principles. We are following ongoing discussions on Palestinian reconciliation. If, through the reconciliation process with Fatah, Hamas supports a new unified Palestinian Government which rejects violence and pursues a negotiated peace, that would be a good first step.
	We also urge Hamas to continue to respect the ceasefire agreed with Israel on 21 November 2012. We are calling on all sides to take advantage of the continuing talks in Cairo to address the fundamental issues facing Gaza, including more access for people and goods and an end to the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.

Middle East

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received that militants in the Sinai test-fired a long-range missile.

Alistair Burt: We have not received any reports about militants test-firing a long-range missile in the Sinai.
	We are concerned about the security situation in the Sinai. We continue to monitor the situation and discuss it with the Egyptian authorities.

Occupied Territories

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Israel on the announcement of 3,500 homes in planning area E1.

Alistair Burt: We condemned the Israeli Government's recent decision to unfreeze planning in the area known as E1. Settlements are illegal under international law, and settlements in this area risk altering the situation on the ground in a way that threatens the very viability of a two state solution. I formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 December, to make clear the depth of our concerns.
	We will continue to make our concerns about settlements, including planning for the El area, clear to the Israeli authorities.

Palestinians

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effects of settlement expansion on the development of the Palestinian economy.

Alistair Burt: Our position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) is clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, harder to achieve. Settlements also impact on the Palestinian economy in a number of ways.
	According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the OPTs, about one third of land within the outer limits of settlements is privately owned Palestinian land. Settlements therefore increasingly reduce the amount of land, including agricultural land, available for Palestinian use, and restrict access to water sources.
	Settler violence can also impact on Palestinian livelihoods. There have been incidents of settlers damaging or uprooting olive trees, the sole source of income for many Palestinian farmers. According to OCHA the olive oil industry makes up 14% of the agricultural income for the OPTs and supports the livelihoods of approximately 80,000 families.
	Settlements contribute to the fragmentation of the West Bank and impede movement and access around the West Bank. For example, 124 km of roads in the West Bank are exclusively for the use of Israeli settlers and armed forces and closed to all Palestinians. This makes it difficult for Palestinians, particularly those who live close to settlements, to move around and to access agricultural land, or to travel for employment purposes.

Palestinians

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of economic progress in the West Bank.

Alistair Burt: The Government continue to assess that Israeli restrictions on movement and access in the West Bank and Gaza are the single biggest obstacle to trade and economic development, and hence one of the most important causes of the current financial difficulties of the Palestinian Authority along with the withholding by Israel of customs revenues due to the Palestinian Authority. This is in line with the assessment of the World Bank's Economic Monitoring Report to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee on 19 March.
	We continue to lobby the Israeli Government to ease its restrictions on movement and access and to transfer the customs revenues in a timely and predictable manner in accordance with its obligations under the Paris Protocol.

Palestinians

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received that the UN-backed marathon in Gaza was cancelled after Hamas banned women from participating.

Alistair Burt: We have received media reports stating that the UN-backed marathon in Gaza was cancelled for these reasons.

Palestinians

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the water supply to Palestinians in Gaza.

Alistair Burt: It is important to ensure the fair and effective distribution of shared water resources across the Middle East. The Government continue to press the Israeli Government, bilaterally and by working with others such as the European Union, on the need to ensure adequate access to water in Gaza. These resources are limited and therefore require the effective co-operation of all parties to manage them in such a manner that ensures there will be enough for all.

Palestinians

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the foreign policy implications of shortage of water in Gaza.

Alistair Burt: The fair and effective distribution of shared water resources across the Middle East is of great concern to us. The Government continue to press the Israeli Government, bilaterally and by working with others such as the European Union, on the need to ensure adequate access to water in Gaza. These resources are limited and therefore require the effective co-operation of all parties to manage them in such a manner that ensures there will be enough for all.

Qatar

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the aims and objectives are of Government policy towards Qatar.

Alistair Burt: Qatar is an important regional ally for the UK. We enjoy a relationship based on common interests in many areas, including trade and investment, education, culture, defence, and security. Our aim is to strengthen our engagement in these areas and support the Government's foreign policy objectives of security, prosperity, and support for UK nationals overseas. Qatar's close relationship with the UK is reflected in its multiple investments here. I and my ministerial colleagues visit Qatar, or meet with senior Qatari visitors to the UK on a regular basis.

Saudi Arabia

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the aims and objectives are of Government policy towards Saudi Arabia.

Alistair Burt: Saudi Arabia is an important regional ally for the UK. We enjoy a relationship based on common interests in many areas, including trade and investment, education, culture, defence, and security. Our aim is to strengthen our engagement in these areas and support the Government's foreign policy objectives of security, prosperity, and support for UK nationals overseas. This close relationship allows us to have frank conversations with the Saudi Arabian Government in other areas, such as human rights, the UK's values, and the importance of the rule of law. I and my ministerial colleagues visit the Kingdom, or meet with senior Saudi visitors to the UK on a regular basis.

United Arab Emirates

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the aims and objectives are of Government policy towards the UAE.

Alistair Burt: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an important regional ally for the UK. We enjoy a relationship based on common interests in many areas, including trade and investment, education, culture, defence, and security. Our aim is to strengthen our engagement in these areas and support the government's foreign policy objectives of security, prosperity, and support for UK nationals overseas. One vehicle for doing this is the UK-UAE “Task Force” which I chair together with my UAE counterpart and which meets four times a year. The UAE is a key trading partner for the UK.